Broken and Fragile
by Steel Fairy
Summary: Part 5 in the FRtR canon. With the fifth Smash tournament on the horizon, it's inevitable that Mario and Sonic will have to see each other again. But with Sonic's frustration and anger bubbling to the surface and Mario's futile attempts to make things right, it becomes clear to the other Smashers that maybe they shouldn't be around each other at all. Ultimate Era. Complete.
1. Here We Go Again

**AN: I was going to wait until after we knew more information about 5mash before posting this, but I'll take the risk. Because of that though this will probably be the only chapter posted before E3.  
**

 **This story is a continuation of _From Rivalry to Romance, Forgotten Memories, Over_ and _Crossed Dimensions._ To give a quick rundown on events, _Sonic Forces_ has taken place and will play a huge part in the plot of this story.  
**

 **So with that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy this!**

* * *

 _~Chapter One: Here We Go Again~  
_

It had been six months since the war ended, and the planet _still_ hadn't fully healed yet. Sonic growled as he held a plank of wood up for Knuckles to hammer, glancing around at what had been the beautiful Mystic Ruins, now reduced to a barren wasteland with patches of dead grass and craters that had yet to be filled in. The skytrain to Station Square still wasn't in running condition, and Tails' workshop had been completely obliterated during one of the many attacks. Sonic could still remember the look on his little brother's face when they had finally made it back here, the shock, sadness and determination to fix it as soon as possible. The former two emotions made Sonic's blood boil in rage, rage over Eggman causing the damage in the first place, and rage over the fact that... _he..._ hadn't let him finish off Eggman like he'd been planning.

"Sonic!" Knuckles called, snapping Sonic out of his thoughts. "Would you mind hammering in these nails for me? I need to go get more wood."

Sonic couldn't help but snicker at the last part of what Knuckles had said and grabbed the hammer. "I don't see Rouge anywhere," he slyly replied which earned him a swift punch in the arm.

"You just turned twenty. Stop making jokes like you're still fifteen." Knuckles grumbled.

"Actually, if I hadn't been at the Smash Mansion I'd be twenty-three." Sonic pointed out, to which Knuckles dropped his head in his hands and groaned loudly.

"That's even worse!" he exclaimed. "Now come on Sonic, be serious. We still have a lot of work to finish."

"Aye aye, commander." Sonic dryly commented as Knuckles went to get more planks from the pile a few feet away. Knuckles had sure gotten a lot more serious in this past year; his role as the leader of the Resistance had changed him. Hell, they'd _all_ changed.

Sonic sighed as he focused on the task in front of him; sure, he knew his jokes were bad but at least they made him smile and took his mind off of... everything else.

 _Whack._

Like how he couldn't unsee what he'd seen on the Death Egg.

 _Whack._

Like how he was keeping this brave front because he was Sonic the Hedgehog and needed to be that beacon of light for everyone.

 _Whack._

Like how he really missed...

He shook his head before he could finish that thought and hammered the rest of the nail into the plank of wood before moving to the next one. No, he was mad at _him_ because if _he_ hadn't of interfered, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't be standing here rebuilding his little brother's workshop because Eggman wouldn't have attacked because he'd be _dead_...

"Sonic?"

Speaking of little brothers... Sonic turned and grinned at Tails who had returned from his supply run, his arms full of shopping bags and a stack of envelopes in his hands. The Tornado sat parked a few meters away, the afternoon sun glistening off the shiny red paint. "Hey buddy. How's Station Square?"

"Getting there," Tails murmured, dropping the bags on the ground and flicking through the mail. "I'd say it'll be back to normal in another month or so. All that's left to cleanup is some debris, and construction is going well on the buildings that were destroyed."

"That's a relief," Sonic expressed, before noticing how Tails was staring at a particular envelope with a blank expression on his face. "Whatcha got there, buddy?"

Tails lifted his eyes to meet Sonic's and handed him the envelope without a word. Sonic accepted the envelope and examined it before his pulse quickened at the familiar insignia stamped on the bottom left corner, a circle with two slashes going through it. "Another Smash Brothers tournament," he breathed as he tore the letter open and sure enough found an invitation inside.

"Are you going?" Tails questioned, and Sonic bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the question. Being accepted into the Super Smash Brothers was incredibly prestigious. Only the best fighters were accepted, and being invited back for the third time in a row was a great honor. But if he went it meant he would have to see...

His grip on the invitation tightened and that familiar flare of hatred surged in his chest, the one he'd felt so often when they still had their rivalry all those years ago. And just like during the Brawl tournament, his competitive side flared to life and the desire to curbstomp _him_ into the ground for what he'd done took over all this thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm goin' alright."

/~/

Mario's invitation for the next Smash tournament wasn't even an invitation, it was more of an, 'You'll be here at this time and date and you're not going to complain about it' reminder. Like Mario would ever complain about being invited back to the Smash Mansion though - he loved the tournaments as it allowed him to bond with so many new people from across several different dimensions. Sure the main focus of the event was to see who the strongest fighter was, but the bonding aspect was important to Mario. He'd made so many new friends, and had even...

He stopped himself from finishing that thought, but it still brought something to his attention. Had Sonic been invited back to the Smash Mansion? He assumed so, after all he _was_ a capable fighter and proved that he belonged in the mansion alongside them. Still, he was a bit hesitant about seeing his ex-boyfriend considering there would obviously be tension between them.

"Bro?" Luigi called from the other room, and still clasping his invitation Mario shuffled from their shared bedroom to the living room where Luigi was holding his own invitation in his left hand and the golden ring from Sonic's world in his right. Ever since Mario had broken up with Sonic the ring had fallen into Luigi's possession.

" _Si_ , Weeg?"

"Um, so I just spoke with Tails and Sonic's been invited to the next Smash Brothers tournament," Luigi babbled. "He's going, and Tails wanted to warn you to be careful when you and Sonic inevitably see each other."

"Did he mention why?" Mario questioned.

"He's mad at you," Luigi informed. "Something about if you'd let him kill Eggman then none of this would have happened?"

Mario clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. "Well, how was _I_ supposed to know that Eggman would actually succeed in taking over the world? And well, I'm sorry for caring about the mental health of my pigheaded ex-boyfriend who wouldn't have been able to handle the repercussions!" He began to spew off colourful language in Italian, to which Luigi winced and placed a hand on his brothers shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry." Luigi muttered. A bit of Mario's anger diffused and he looked up at his brother.

"No... it's fine. I would have found out eventually anyway," he sighed, placing the now slightly crumpled invitation on the table. "Come on. Let's go see if Peach got her invitation as well."

Luigi nodded and placed his own invite on top of Mario's. "Maybe this is finally the year that Daisy gets invited!" Luigi said hopefully. Mario couldn't help but chuckle as he followed Luigi outside.

"I hope so too, bro."

/~/

This... was a _very_ familiar situation, to the point that it was borderline cliché. Sonic stared out the slightly dirty window of the bus as it ambled up the road to the Smash Mansion, with Kapp'n in the drivers seat whistling the same tune he had been for the past several years. Did he not know any other songs? Shaking his head Sonic glanced around at the other passengers, as this time he wasn't completely alone on the bus. Marth and Fox were seated at the back of the bus, talking about their lives from the little snippets Sonic could hear. Apparently Marth's wife Caeda was pregnant with their first child, and Fox had proposed to his girlfriend Krystal.

Loud laughter interrupted his eavesdropping, and he turned his eyes towards the newcomers this tournament - what seemed to be a hybrid of kids and squids with... hair?... in all colours of the rainbow. So far they hadn't done much except scroll through their squid-shaped phones and show the others something on their screens, which would result in constant laughing from them. Typical teenagers.

Finally, the last two passengers on the bus sat directly in front of Sonic. The woman politely conversed with the man before they gazed out the window at their surroundings. And even though they were unfamiliar to Sonic, their pointed ears gave it away that they were Hylian which meant they were Link and Zelda - from another dimension of course. It wasn't that surprising, this was what, the fifth Link in Smash and the third Zelda? And while he would miss the old Link and Zelda, he had to admit that he was a bit curious about these new ones. Maybe they could be friends?

The bus ran over a bump in the road and one of the squid kids nearly fell out of her seat. Sonic tensed as he could see the silhouette of the mansion in the distance. They were almost there, and if he had to guess a certain red-capped plumber would be waiting to greet the arriving Smashers. A red-capped plumber he didn't want to see at this moment but knew he couldn't avoid. He felt a dull ache across his chest from his new scar...

His hand clenched into a fist and his lips curled into a snarl. _His_ fault - _his fault!_

The bus slowly came to a stop and the doors opened with a hiss, alerting the passengers that they'd arrived at their destination. The squid kids were the first ones off the bus, chatting excitedly amongst themselves in some sort of language Sonic didn't understand as they exited the bus and took in what would be their temporary home. Link and Zelda were the next off, and Zelda murmured about how impressive the architecture was.

Marth and Fox waved at Sonic as they exited, and Sonic sighed realizing he couldn't put it off forever - he needed to get off the bus too. Grabbing his lone bag of gloves and socks and mourning the loss of his guitar that he would have had with him had it not been destroyed he took a deep breath, thanked Kapp'n, and stepped off the bus.

Sure enough some Smashers were already at the mansion. Ness and Lucas were introducing themselves to the squid kids while he spied Princess Peach and Luigi greeting Link and Zelda.

And then... _him. He_ stood in front of the elaborate fountain, _his_ eyes locked with Sonic's looking like he was searching for the right words to say. For a moment Sonic did nothing, weighing his options. Wondering if he should ignore his ex-boyfriend or go straight for a confrontation.

In the end neither of those things happened as a surge of anger flared in Sonic's chest. He marched forward, punched _him_ straight in the jaw and stalked off, ignoring the alarmed cries from Peach and Luigi and the shocked gasps from Fox and Marth.


	2. Not Speaking

**AN: I will continue taking the risk. Worst case scenario this ends up being a 5mash AU.**

* * *

 _~Chapter Two: Not Speaking~  
_

Mario wasn't sure who was arriving at the Smash Mansion today, but no matter who it was he was determined to make them feel welcome. Even if that Smasher just so happened to be his ex-boyfriend. No matter what Sonic's attitude towards him was, he would continue to be kind to him because that was just the kind of person Mario was.

"'Ey Mario!" a familiar voice called out, and Mario smirked as he turned towards Captain Falcon who had wandered up to him. "Waiting for the newcomers, huh?"

"Sure am," Mario replied with a bit of a laugh. "And let me guess - you're waiting to see if there's any new girls to flirt with, right?"

"You know me too well," Captain Falcon sighed, before he flashed a grin at Mario. "But I think I made some real good progress last tournament!"

"How is being shot down by everyone you asked making progress?" Mario questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I got a 'maybe' from Palutena. I call that a victory!"

"Until she started dating Corrin," Mario flatly pointed out. "Who had also turned you down might I remind you."

Captain Falcon blankly stared at Mario. "Shut up." he stated before switching topics. "So anyway, how are things with you and Sonic?"

It was Mario's turn to look uncomfortable as he looked down at his shoes. "We uh... we're not together anymore." he quietly mumbled, to which Captain Falcon reeled back in a bit of shock.

"Really?" he questioned. "Wow, I didn't think you two were going to split. What happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it." Mario answered, and Captain Falcon nodded his head respectfully.

"Okay. But if you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to find me."

"Of course." Mario smiled, and Captain Falcon raised a hand before spying Samus and practically _sprinting_ to catch up with her... even though she'd been turning him down since the first tournament.

Mario shook his head in amusement before noticing that the bus was pulling up, gathering the attention of all the Smashers who were outside at the moment. The bus doors opened and the first ones off were a group of newcomers Master Hand had been talking about. Inklings, Mario believed their species was called? They were swiftly called over by Ness and Lucas, and Mario couldn't help but be a bit impressed by Lucas' willingness to make new friends. A far cry from the timid boy who had shown up in Brawl and could barely look anyone in the eye.

Next off the bus were the new Link and Zelda. They were greeted by Peach and Luigi - not surprising considering Peach had always been friends with the multiple Zelda's and the same could be said for Luigi and Link.

Marth and Fox were next, and Mario waved at his friends as they waved back and headed for the main mansion. At first Mario thought they were the only passengers on the bus until someone else stepped off and his heart skipped a beat.

Sonic carried a single bag with him that struck Mario as odd considering he always had his guitar case with him since he'd bought it. But what he noticed next was arguably worse than the lack of a guitar case. A scar ran diagonally across Sonic's chest, starting at his left shoulder and ending at his right hip. A few tufts of blue fur could be seen around the scarred area as it was never a good idea to shave over a scar. Mario wanted to avert his eyes but he couldn't not notice the fact that his ex-boyfriend had obtained an awful wound at some point.

 _'Was that Eggman's doing?'_

And suddenly their eyes had met, Sonic staring at him with harsh hostility that made Mario nauseous. As he tried to come up with what he could possibly say Sonic's hand clenched into a fist and before he knew it he was met with pain exploding in his jaw, Sonic stalking away as Mario fell to his knees groaning in pain.

"Bro!" Luigi cried as he and Peach rushed over to provide aid. Luigi glared at Sonic's retreating form as Link and Zelda glanced between the hedgehog and Luigi. "What a jerk." Luigi growled as he pried his brothers fingers away from his jaw to inspect the area. "Doesn't look too bad though, and you haven't spat out any teeth or blood so that's good."

Mario didn't reply, he just stared after Sonic sadly. Captain Falcon's mouth hung open comically, as if actually realizing that yes, Mario had been serious about their breakup after all. Samus remained stoic as ever, arms folded and an eyebrow raised in interest.

"Come on bro, let's get you to the infirmary to check that nothing's broken." Luigi urged, and after a moment Mario nodded slowly and pushed himself up off the ground, allowing his brother to lead him into the mansion away from the prying eyes of the Smashers.

/~/

Captain Falcon blinked in shock over what he'd just witnessed. Sonic had just stepped off of the bus, made a beeline for Mario and punched him right in the jaw. From the look of it Mario was alright and Luigi was helping him into the mansion while Peach watched with her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"Well... that was some excitement..." Samus dryly commented. "Wonder what happened with them?"

"I'm not sure," Captain Falcon murmured as he kept his gaze focused on Peach. "But I'm about to find out."

Samus followed Captain Falcon's gaze and rolled her eyes. "M'kay. While you're off gossiping like a high schooler, I have to meet with Master Hand because I'm in charge of showing the new female Smashers around," she clapped Captain Falcon on the shoulder. "See you around."

With that Samus spun on her heel and headed into the mansion while Captain Falcon approached Peach. Link and Zelda had left shortly after Luigi and Mario did leaving the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom alone in the pavilion.

"A lady like yourself shouldn't be left alone." Captain Falcon smoothly greeted, causing Peach to whirl around and let out an amused sigh.

"And _you_ know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself around here," she shot back before grinning. "It's been too long, Captain Falcon. How have you been?"

"I've been fine," Captain Falcon began. "But I see there's some tension between Mario and Sonic. What exactly happened there?"

A frown graced Peach's delicate features. "I'm afraid they broke up," she whispered. "And I'm not exactly comfortable revealing why as it's quite the private matter, but perhaps you could get it out of one of them."

"That sounds... ominous." Captain Falcon hummed. "There's nothing you can say?"

"My apologies Captain Falcon, but my lips are sealed."

Captain Falcon's shoulders sagged a bit. "...Is there any chance of them getting back together?"

"From what just transpired, I'd say the chances of that happening are very slim." Peach grimly stated. "All I can say is that this will certainly be an interesting tournament."

"It sure will," Captain Falcon mused, a sly grin spreading across his lips. "Would you perhaps like to accompany me throughout it?"

Peach rolled her eyes. "You know the rules of my kingdom wouldn't let me be with someone like you even if I wanted to. And besides, I'm still with Rosalina."

Captain Falcon's face scrunched in confusion. "But isn't that also against the rules of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Yes." Peach replied simply, folding her arms.

"So, what you're saying is..."

"Yes Captain Falcon, I'm in a secret relationship and I'd like to keep it from Toadsworth and Bowser," she explained rather huffily. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go check up on Mario and Luigi."

With that Peach began to head towards the mansion leaving Captain Falcon to ponder on what he'd learned. Maybe he'd try to speak with one of them - Sonic maybe? - to get the full story on what happened. Before he could go look for either one of them though he spied Lucina practicing her swordsplay, and with a grin headed over.

"You need a permanent training partner this tournament...?"

/~/

After receiving a quick check-up from Luigi who confirmed that yes, he was fine, Mario was able to leave the infirmary and head to Master Hand's office. After all, he was the one showing the new male Smashers around, as he had for the past three tournaments.

"Well, if it isn't plumber-boy," Samus drawled with a slight grin as Mario wandered up to the large doors that led to Master Hand's office. "'Bout time you showed up. How's your jaw?"

"Sore," Mario replied. "I'll probably get a bruise there, but it's not broken."

Samus hummed in acknowledgement as the doors opened and the large white hand floated out, beckoning Mario and Samus in with his index finger which honestly looked a little bit creepy.

"Come in, come in." Master Hand boomed, and the two veteran Smashers stepped inside the elaborate office with its tall bookshelves filled to the brim with various encyclopedias about the Smashers worlds and its plush red velvet chairs. The electric fireplace crackled as Mario and Samus took their seats and Master Hand floated to his side of the desk, pushing a stack of paperwork towards them.

"Mario and Samus - I welcome you back to the Smash Mansion for the fifth tournament," Master Hand began and Samus rolled her eyes. Mario resisted the urge to do the same, while he deeply respected Master Hand he knew it would be the exact same speech he'd given them the past three tournaments. They knew why they were here, so why not just cut the speech out? It wasn't part of Master Hand's plan as he continued, "As you are two fighters who have been here since the beginning, it is only natural that you two know the rules the best. Therefore it will be your duty to introduce these rules to the new Smashers and give them a tour of their new home. Mario, you will be in charge of the boys, and Samus the girls. Any questions?"

"Can we get on with it?" Samus flatly asked, her arms crossed looking bored. Mario stifled a laugh.

"In a moment, Miss Aran." Master Hand coldly responded. "As part of your being in the Super Smash Brothers, you must read over a copy of the rules yourself and sign at the bottom of the page."

"And again with this bullshit," Samus sighed as she snatched the copy of the rules in front of her, leafing through it before signing her name. "It's the same rules from four tournaments ago. You never change them."

Mario read the rules a bit more carefully than Samus, his eyes searching the paper for anything that may have changed. When he found nothing he signed his name at the bottom of the page and pushed it back towards Master Hand who gathered them and bobbed his fingers in approval.

"Alright. You two know the drill, and I will announce for the new Smashers to gather in the lobby." a knock on the door interrupted Master Hand, and he "glanced" up at the door. "You may enter."

Both Mario and Samus turned to see who had entered the office, and Mario's chest tightened as Sonic entered, pausing once he saw that Mario was in the office as well. Mario could tell he was deciding if he should stay or bail.

"Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Master Hand greeted warmly, oblivious to the tension in the room. "What brings you to my office?"

"I uh, need my dorm key," Sonic explained, avoiding eye contact with Mario. "An' since I'm here I should fill out my paperwork as well."

"Oh, of course!" Master Hand exclaimed. "Mario, Samus, you may be excused. I shall send out the announcement shortly. Sonic, why don't you take a seat and we can fill out your paperwork and get you your key?"

Mario and Samus stood and shuffled past Sonic who was still avoiding eye contact with Mario. Mario wanted to ask Sonic what the hell his problem was but didn't want to start a scene in front of Master Hand. Instead he felt Samus' hand on his shoulder, leading him out of the office.

"Okay, what happened between you two?" Samus demanded as soon as they were out in the hallway. Mario sighed.

"I really don't want to talk about it." was Mario's answer, and Samus was about to ask why not when the intercom crackled to life grabbing their attention. Raising an eyebrow Samus clicked her tongue and decided to shelf that topic for now.

"Looks like the fun's about to start," she sighed. "Good luck Mario."

"Same to you Samus."

With that both of them headed down to the lobby to greet the new Smashers.

/~/

Samus decided - very quickly - that she didn't like the Inklings very much. Not only were they not listening to the rules Samus was attempting to drill into their skulls, they kept getting distracted by the damn phones in their hands, always pausing to take selfies - or, "shellfies", as they called them - or moan about the fact that a concert was happening and they were going to miss it.

...Honestly, missing a concert was _not_ the end of the world, but the way they were acting certainly made it seem that way. She wondered if Mario was faring any better with his group of Inklings or if he was getting just as frustrated. At least Zelda was paying attention. She nodded whenever Samus pointed out an important area and even had a small notebook with her and was writing things down. Finally, a Smasher who was actually _listening!_

"And this is the library?" Zelda questioned, motioning towards the door Samus had stopped in front of. Samus nodded.

"Yes, filled with all sorts of information that I can assure you you'll never remember." Samus summarized, and Zelda's eyes lit up.

"Really?" she enthusiastically asked, and Samus blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

Zelda scribbled something down in her notebook, and Samus curiously glanced at the page realizing that Zelda was creating her own _map_ along with detailed descriptions of each room. Samus had to admit - she was impressed with Zelda's dedication.

"Samus."

And there was Mario's group. Samus motioned Mario away from their groups and sighed. "Are your group of Inklings as bad as mine?"

"If you mean do they keep taking selfies then _si_ ," Mario confirmed. "Though they are teenagers, so it's to be expected. They honestly remind me of Rabbid Peach a little bit."

"It doesn't _matter_ if they're teenagers!" Samus seethed. "Do they not understand that they've been invited to an incredibly exclusive fighting tournament and should be lucky that they're here in the first place? They need to pay attention to the rules, Mario!"

"And I'm sure they will," Mario assured. "They just need to get used to it here. Not everyone was raised as a bounty hunter who had to follow strict rules. From what I've gathered, their world revolves around fashion and something known as turf wars where they spray ink across large plots of land for sport."

Samus sighed. "I know not everyone was raised like me," she groaned. "I just can't stand it when people don't seem to want to listen and don't take things as seriously as they should."

"Trust me, I know." Mario replied. He then gave her a cheerful smile. "So since we've run across each other, I take it your tour of the main mansion is done?"

"It is," Samus confirmed. "The only building left is the dorm building."

"Same here. Since we've crossed paths, should we continue our tours together?"

Samus shrugged. "Sure," she replied, clapping her hands to get the attention of her group who ceased their chatter. "Me and Mario are taking you to the dormitories now, where you'll get acquainted with your rooms."

"Follow us." Mario chimed in as he and Samus led the new Smashers to the back of the mansion, opening the glass doors that led to the backyard and dorm building.

"This is where you'll sleep every night," Samus explained. "Girls sleep on the wing to the left, boys on the right. Girls and boys can't share dorm rooms, and can't be in each others rooms past nine o'clock." pausing, she added. "That doesn't stop anyone though." _'I would know.'_

Mario coughed, giving Samus a look that said, ' _You could have left that piece of information out'_. "Anyway, we'll show you your rooms now, so if you'll just follow us..." he opened the door to the dormitories and stopped short as, "Sonic." he said out loud, and Sonic turned towards him, a hand falling to his hip. He looked ready to say something before noticing the large group of Smashers and apparently thought better of it as he continued down the hallway to his room. Samus placed a supportive hand on Mario's shoulder as she could see just how _broken up_ Mario looked before reminding him of what they were here to do.

"Right," Mario mumbled, putting on an incredibly forced smile. "So, we'll show you your rooms now, and you'll have to get your keys from Master Hand..."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** I agree, Sonic's behavior could use some work. We'll check back in with him next chapter to see where his emotional state is at. Thank you for the review!

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Once again, I do agree with you. And don't worry, there's going to be a lot of tension between them. Thank you for the review!

 **Silver1612:** Yeah... I hope you're all ready for some drama, because these two... yikes, they had minds of their own while I was writing this. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: This was brought up in FRtR as well, but I figured I'd add it here as a footnote as well regarding the Corrin's and their naming scheme because someone's probably gonna yell at me like last time. I know it's more common to call the female Corrin 'Kamui' and keep the male Corrin's name the same, but I swapped them because in my headcanon the female Corrin sided with Nohr, and the male Corrin sided with Hoshido. Corrin kept her Nohrian name, while Kamui swapped his for a more traditional Hoshidan name.  
**

 **And as for the Inklings... I decided that they would act like stereotypical teenagers considering there's at least some evidence backing it up in the source material. And even though it won't be brought up in this story, I call the orange Inkling girl Haley, and the blue Inkling boy Bryce.**

 **~Steel**


	3. Just How it Is

_~Chapter Three: Just How it Is~  
_

Sonic hadn't emerged from his room since he'd stepped foot inside, missing dinner in the process. Not that it really mattered, he'd gone days with no food before and been perfectly fine. Besides, he didn't feel like seeing _him_ down in the dining area, especially since _he'd_ seemed keen on starting a conversation with him. Plus, Sonic knew the Smashers. No doubt what he'd done had been spread across them like wildfire at this point, and he just didn't want to deal with the drama. So in his room he remained, bored out of his mind and missing his guitar so very much.

 _'I could always borrow one from the music room...'_ he thought as he checked the time. Eight at night. Surely there wouldn't be any Smashers loitering in the main mansion, right? Deciding to risk it Sonic crept to his door and reached for the knob before he heard a couple of Smashers talking outside.

"So what do you think happened between them?" that was Marth talking.

"I think it's obvious," definitely Fox. "Didn't I always say that they'd break up because of their age gap?"

 _'That wasn't the fucking reason,'_ Sonic bitterly thought.

"Did you see that scar on Sonic's chest?" Marth inquired. "Do you think that may have had something to do with it?"

That arguably made Sonic angrier than the previous comment. Were they... were they insinuating that _Mario_ of all people had injured him like that?! Sure, there were those theories floating around that Mario was a sadist or some shit like that, but anyone who'd met the guy could easily tell you that wasn't the case. You'd think they'd know that after being in so many tournaments with him. Besides, Sonic didn't like thinking about how he got that scar... all that blood and Gadget desperately trying to stop the bleeding as they were surrounded by Egg Pawns raising their guns to fire...

"Who knows?" Fox replied. "But there's only one way to find out."

Three sharp knocks on the door and Sonic growled under his breath, slowly backing away from the door not wanting to talk to Marth and Fox about his relationship woes. Seriously, didn't they have better things to do with their time? Like not speculate why two of their fellow Smashers broke up with each other? Yeah, let's start with that one. Thankfully Sonic heard Marth and Fox wander away when he didn't answer the door, and sighing Sonic flopped down on his bed, all interest in going to the music room completely lost. Frustrated, he retreated to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

His reflection gazed back at him as he brushed his teeth, and Sonic frowned as he took in his appearance. Specifically, how much scrawnier he looked. Now, Sonic had always been lanky, but...

...He really _had_ gone a lot of days without food, hadn't he?

Shaking his head Sonic finished up in the bathroom and crawled underneath his warm, inviting sheets, hoping that a good nights sleep would make him feel just a little bit better.

/~/

He was trapped.

The only sound Sonic could hear was his quick, panicked breathes as his eyes swept over the solitary confinement cell he had been placed into. The cold, claustrophobic cell that had nearly driven him to insanity. No, no, he'd escaped from here! Why was he back here again?! He'd defeated Infinite, defeated Eggman, saved the world...

 _'Why?!'_

"Did you enjoy your hallucination, Sonic?"

Beads of sweat trickled down Sonic's spines as his eyes met the single gold one peeking out from the mask the jackal wore. He levitated just outside Sonic's cell, observing him carefully. Sonic clenched his hand into a fist. "What do you want, Infinite?"

"Just checking in to see how you enjoyed your hallucination. Quite realistic, wasn't it?"

A chill ran through Sonic but he kept his brave face. "What hallucination?"

"Do not act stupid. We both know that you will never manage to escape this cell. So I created a lovely illusion that you _had,_ showed you what you wanted. Realistic, was it not?"

Sonic violently shook his head. "No... no, we defeated you. I was there. Eggman ripped the Phantom Ruby out of your chest, an' me an' Gadget destroyed the mech it was in. You _lost."_

Infinite simply let out a low chortle. "You cannot deny that you are _afraid._ Curled up in your cell wondering if this is the day you would die."

Sonic heard screams from down the hallway, from another cell. He remembered how he'd always hear screaming coming from other prisoners, either because they were losing their minds or they didn't want to face the reality that they'd been captured. Then a bang and the screaming ceased, a deathly silence following. He shuddered. He'd experienced that too many times as well.

"You cannot escape me Sonic, for I am _infinite..."_

/~/

Sonic sat bolt upright, heart racing and frantically glancing around. Where was he, _where was..._

Oh, right. The Smash Mansion. Sonic let his heartbeat return to normal, he was fine, he wasn't in any danger...

His stomach was growling though. And his hunger combined with the nightmare he'd just had brought back some... _choice memories..._ from his time spent trapped on the Death Egg. Throwing his covers aside Sonic slipped into his shoes and crept to his door, opening it as quietly as he could and peeking out into the hallway to make sure no Smashers were around. Once he confirmed that the hallway was empty he stealthily made his way through the dorm and out the door, his eyes set on the main mansion. Surely there would be something leftover in the fridge, right? And since the mansion was most likely empty at the moment aside from the Hands... he could get to the music room as well.

The mansion at night always had an eerie atmosphere about it. Sonic wasn't afraid of the dark, but with no lights on and no sounds coming from the children Smashers playing or gossip circles, it did make him a tad uneasy. Like he was a naive protagonist in a horror film that didn't know what fate was about to befall him.

' _I need to stop being so overdramatic.'_ Sonic thought as he pushed open the door to the kitchen and flicked on the light, the sudden brightness making him squint for a moment before his vision adjusted.

And there it was, a shining beacon in the middle of the kitchen. The fridge - the perfect place to find a midnight snack. Sonic opened the silver door and the contents inside were bathed in light as Sonic scanned the shelves for anything interesting. Rule in the mansion was if something was leftover from dinner it was fair game to anyone unless you wrote your name on it. Sonic could still remember the epic battle between Ganondorf and Meta Knight when the former had eaten the latter's curry. Good times...

Sonic eventually settled on a bowl of rice and added soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor. Tossing it in the microwave Sonic leaned against the counter with his arms folded, trying not to think about his nightmare. Trying not to think about what happened on the Death Egg. Trying to ignore the growling in his stomach as he lay on the cold metal floor, his hands and feet in shackles he couldn't escape from and he hadn't had any food in six days and...

The beeping from the microwave snapped Sonic back to reality and he hastily grabbed his food and a fork before returning to resting against the counter, savoring the taste of the rice and promising himself that he'd never take food for granted again.

After finishing off the rice and throwing the bowl and fork into the dishwasher, Sonic made his way to the music room and pushed the door open, flicking on the light and smiling as his eyes fell on all the musical instruments. His gaze focused on a single guitar in particular though - a blue electric guitar that he gingerly lifted off the wall and cradled in his hands.

"Hey, old pal."

He had a lot of memories with this guitar, the one that started off his interest in music way back in Brawl when he was only sixteen. Holding the guitar again at the age of twenty - er, twenty- _three_ if he was counting those lost years - was a bit surreal to think about. Sonic sunk down in one of the chairs and positioned his fingers above the strings. It had been so long since he'd played...

"Sonic?"

...And apparently he'd still have to wait as his head snapped up at the sound of the intruder before he narrowed his eyes. "What are _you_ doing in here?" he spat, even though his heart cried out for him to say something nicer. Major disconnect there.

Mario let out a heavy sigh. "I heard commotion," pausing, he added, "Is this just how it's going to be between us now? You being aloof and indifferent while I try to communicate with you like a normal human being?"

"I'm not human," Sonic pointed out. "And the jury's still out on your species as well."

"That's not what I mean, Sonic!" Mario cried out. "Look, I don't know what happened in your world because you won't tell me, but I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry because I know that Eggman was involved somehow and maybe my judgement was wrong on what you should or shouldn't have done. I just..." Mario trailed off, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. "I was just trying to protect you."

Sonic's heart and mind battled with each other as his heart told him to see things from Mario's perspective while his mind told Sonic that Mario was being a condescending jerk who had no right to apologize. In the end his mind won, and he let out a haughty laugh. "Sorry's not gonna cut it this time, _Mario,"_ Sonic seethed, and Mario flinched at how venomous his name sounded on Sonic's tongue. "An' you wanted to protect me? Well, I can protect myself thank you very much. I think I've proven that."

"That's not what I meant!" Mario snapped, his patience wearing thin. "What I meant was that I care about your well-being. Obviously, we were in a _relationship._ I just wanted to look out for you."

"Well here's some helpful advice," Sonic spat, placing the guitar down on the ground and standing, marching over to Mario and harshly poking him in the chest. " _Don't_ care about my well-being, and _don't_ assume that I can't handle somethin'. 'Cause I _can,_ an' if you'd let me finish off Eggman maybe we could still be in a relationship an' none of this would have happened!"

"Sonic, _what_ happened?" Mario pleaded, desperate to get some sort of answer out of his ex-boyfriend. "Please just tell me how you got that awful scar."

Sonic glared at Mario. "No." he growled, before he stormed out of the music room and sped away before Mario could catch up with him.

He found himself out in the secluded garden where Snake was buried and groaned as he dropped his face in his hands. He really hadn't meant to be that hostile, but all those negative emotions had crashed over him and made him so _angry._

 _'What is wrong with me?'_

He curled up on the ground and blankly stared at the grave of his old friend until he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Well, the fated meeting happened... and boy did things get out of hand quickly. Sonic's in conflict with himself thanks to... whatever he went through... and as for Mario, he's still fighting for Sonic because he wants to believe that he can reach through to him. It's sad, really. Thank you for the review!

 **Infinite's Rub** **y:** Well... yeah, that's pretty much exactly what happened, isn't it? I will admit though, I _do_ have fun writing their interactions like this, so... I apologize in advance. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Authors Note could not be found as she's currently screaming like a pterodactyl over all the game news that came out this week involving Mega Man 11, Team Sonic Racing, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, along with the upcoming demo for Mario Tennis Aces. We are sorry for the inconvenience, please try again later.**

 **~Not-Steel**


	4. I Should Move On

_~Chapter Four: I Should Move On~  
_

Mario felt awful the next morning. His fight with Sonic combined with the lack of sleep was taking its toll on him, and after nearly falling asleep at the breakfast table twice he decided he needed to do something to keep his brain active. Namely, get the infirmary set up for this tournament and get ready for the upcoming physicals. He was still the mansions doctor after all, and had responsibilities to attend to. He couldn't slack off just because he had some relationship problems.

As Mario was shuffling through the patient files he heard a knock at the door, and glancing up found Samus in the doorway. He placed the file down and waved her in, motioning her towards one of the patient chairs. "Good morning Samus. What brings you here today?"

Mario was used to Samus frequently visiting the infirmary. During Melee she'd opened up about her struggles with PTSD after Young Link's death, and even though Mario was by no means a therapist he still managed to get to the root of her problem and help her through it. Since then they'd developed an odd friendship and she'd often talk with Mario whenever she felt down, especially after Snake's death the previous tournament.

"I'm afraid it's nothing to do with me," Samus began, her eyes following Mario as he sunk down on his chair and gazed at her curiously. "Rather, I'm more interested in what's going on with _you."_

 _...Oh._

"Samus..." Mario tried, before silencing under Samus' gaze.

"Don't 'Samus' me," she snapped. "Now listen. Back in Melee you helped me through my PTSD dealing with Ridley, and I promised that someday I'd return the favor. Now I see that you're going through something, the offer's still on the table and I don't think it'll be used for anything else in the near future. So talk. What happened between you and Sonic?"

Mario hesitated, but knew there was no point in trying to argue with Samus. Her death stare was something that could strike terror into the hearts of even the toughest Smashers. And with the way she towered over a large majority of them even without her Varia suit, it was easy to see why most Smashers were terrified of her on the battlefield - Mario included.

Mario rose from his chair and shut the door in order to give him and Samus some privacy. "Sonic can't know I've told you any of this," Mario explained. "He'd quite literally kill me if he found out."

"You know I don't participate in the mansion's petty gossip," Samus replied distastefully. "Honestly, if I wanted drama I'd go to high school."

Mario lightly chuckled and sat down in his seat again, pondering on where to start the story. "Well, I went to go visit Sonic for his nineteenth birthday," he began. "Everything was fine until Dr. Eggman showed up with an entire army of robots. And while we fought as hard as we could, we were both defeated and Sonic was captured."

"But you obviously rescued him." Samus pointed out.

"Actually, we almost couldn't go save him as Dr. Eggman had developed a barrier that would disintegrate you on contact according to your DNA. Thankfully Pauline was able to go in and save Sonic, otherwise who knows what could have happened."

"Pauline as in your ex-girlfriend Pauline?" Samus questioned, raising an eyebrow. She snorted. "I bet that went over well with Sonic."

"Sonic's not a jealous type," Mario defended. "And he was quite grateful for Pauline's help."

Samus raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Huh," she hummed. "So if you two didn't break up because of jealousy issues, what happened?"

"We went to counterattack Dr. Eggman," Mario explained. He hesitated. "While Sonic was captured, he learned that Dr. Eggman was his father." he confessed quietly, feeling as though he'd betrayed Sonic's trust by letting that secret slip.

Samus' eyes widened in shock and intrigue. "Sonic's half-human?" she curiously inquired.

"That's... not what the takeaway was supposed to be..." Mario awkwardly began.

"Oh, I know," Samus replied. "His arch-enemy is related to him, sort of like if I found out I was related to Ridley or you Bowser. But I find his genetic makeup fascinating if that's the case, not being quite human myself anymore."

Mario hummed. "That is true... but anyway, when we infiltrated Dr. Eggman's base, Sonic went ahead to face him alone while we dealt with the security robots. When we went to help Sonic he was standing over Dr. Eggman with a broken piece of robot held over his heart."

"Sonic killed someone?" Samus asked in alarm. Mario shook his head.

"I stopped him just in time. We got into an argument about it and..."

"You broke up." Samus finished. She frowned. "That doesn't explain the scar on his chest though."

"I don't know how he got that either," Mario admitted. "All I know is that after we broke up we received word from Tails that Sonic had died and Dr. Eggman was in the process of taking over the world, though we found out later that Sonic had been simply captured. Still, Sonic blames me for the damage done in his world, thinking that if he had killed Dr. Eggman that none of this would have happened."

"Sounds like you've been through the emotional wringer," Samus observed. "So, let's get right down to it - do you still have feelings for Sonic after all that's happened?"

Despite the dull ache in his jaw, Mario nodded. "Yeah... I do," he admitted almost guiltily. "I mean, we weren't just partners. We were _best friends._ So losing both was so hard on me. He was such an important part of my life, and to have him not wanting to speak to me..."

"So go talk to him." Samus bluntly stated. "If you miss him so much, there's a simple solution to your problem."

He doesn't _want_ to talk to me," Mario argued. "He'll just walk away or make some rude comment. Or punch me again."

"Then make him listen," Samus shot back. "And quite frankly, if he's going to treat you like that, maybe that's a sign that you two just aren't compatible together."

"I..." Mario stuttered, and Samus folded her arms and gave Mario a death stare.

"Out with it, plumber-boy."

"I love him," Mario confessed, dropping his head in his hands. "Even after our conversation last night and even though he punched me I'm still in love with him and I _know_ I need to move on but I'm having a tough time doing that." he dropped his head in his hands and let out a muffled growl of aggravation. "I'm an idiot."

"You spoke with him last night?" Samus pressed, curiosity piqued once again while ignoring the last part of Mario's rant. No, he _wasn't_ an idiot... just someone who had way too many conflicting emotions at the moment.

"Well, more like we fought with each other," Mario muttered. "I just wish he'd tell me what happened, but he just doesn't want to."

Samus hummed. "You're not going to like what I'm about to suggest, but there is a saying that if you love something..."

"You let it go." Mario finished sadly. He sighed. "I know... but I so hoped that we could work through it and reconcile. I miss him so much."

"And I miss Snake," Samus countered. "But things happen for a reason. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be with you two."

Mario lowered his eyes to the ground before he eventually nodded. "I guess..." he mumbled. He hated to admit that Samus had brought up several valid points, and the thought of never being on friendly terms with Sonic again after all they'd been through made him nauseous. He could feel the guitar pick necklace in his pants pocket while Luigi's advice to move on echoed in his mind.

Samus stood. "It looks like you've got some things to think about. I'll leave you be for now."

Mario didn't even register the fact that Samus had left until the door clicked shut behind her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace he'd kept on him since he and Sonic broke up. He stared at it for a long moment before setting it on his desk and turning towards the patient files again.

 _'If you love something you let it go.'_

And even though Mario didn't want to give up hope on mending his and Sonic's fractured relationship, it really seemed like he had no choice. Sonic had clearly made his decision, and Mario had to respect that. So with a heavy sigh Mario picked up the necklace and dropped it in a drawer so he didn't have to look at it.

There. That wasn't so hard. As Mario returned to flipping through the files observing what medication he'd need to order, he found his heart feeling oddly light, as if a dumbbell had been lifted off his shoulders.

 _'This is for the best.'_

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **Silver1612:** I think Sonic's characterization in the actual game comes from the fact that the mention of torture was only in the English dub, there was no mention of it in the Japanese script. And while I don't mind his snarky characterization because I relate with it, I decided that it was all a facade and he's actually breaking inside. As someone who has depression, I can confirm that you often do feign happiness in order to not worry those around you. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Well, you have to remember that Mario has been through the emotional wringer since Forgotten Memories. His emotions are all over the place, though thankfully Samus seems to have gotten through to him. Thank you for the review!

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Yeah... Sonic ending up in the graveyard just seemed like a good way to end the chapter. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Nancyns4:** Well, thank you so much! And yeah, it's Sonic's turn to go through the emotional wringer thanks to the events taking place in _Sonic Forces_. Though I'm not done with either of them yet. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Samus is lowkey my favourite character to write. I love her so much.  
**

 **And I now go into the great E3 hibernation of 2018 with my friends, and by that I mean we're spending E3 in a basement eating pizza and yelling really loudly whenever something we're excited about gets announced. I've got my bingo cards ready and I've spent PrE3 week watching the highs and lows of years past. It's going to be great! So I'll see you guys after E3!  
**

 **~Steel**


	5. Yeah, I Know I'm Impulsive

_~Chapter Five: Yeah, I Know I'm Impulsive~  
_

Sonic had woken up in some strange places before. Like the time he'd infiltrated one of Eggman's bases and spent the night shoved in an air vent, and that time he woke up in a literal dumpster thanks to... actually, he couldn't remember the circumstances behind that one. And then there was the time Tails referred to as 'The Locker Room Incident' that Sonic _really_ didn't want to remember. But never once had he woken up in a graveyard, and it actually took him a minute to remember why he was out here in the first place.

Oh yeah, right. Mario. The fight. Sonic dragged himself up and stretched before making his way to his dorm room in order to prepare for the day. He passed a few Smashers along the way who smiled and waved, but he could tell by their eyes that they were all curious about his breakup with Mario. Didn't they have anything better to do?

Sonic finally made it to his room and stepped into the adjoining bathroom, eager to get the dirt off his fur from spending the night on the ground. He'd learned to appreciate cleanliness thanks to his imprisonment...

Ten minutes later and Sonic stepped out of the shower, drying himself off with the white towels the mansion provided with the Smash insignia at the bottom left corner and dressed himself in his gloves and shoes. His long quills dripped with water and after vigorously drying them with the towel he bunched them up together in a ponytail - something he'd been doing a lot of recently. He added his hoop earring as the finishing touch and exited the bathroom, sinking down on his bed and staring at the ceiling. His stomach growled and he sighed realizing he couldn't avoid the other Smashers forever, he needed to eat at some point. He rather reluctantly left the safe haven of his room and into the lion's den, where the predators were waiting for their prey to make an appearance.

 _'...I really need to stop bein' so overdramatic about everythin'.'_

Thankfully Mario was nowhere to be seen in the dining hall, so Sonic allowed himself to loosen up a bit and relax. He slid into a seat next to Pit who was shoveling pancakes into his mouth faster than Sonic could process. He knew the angel liked to eat, but geez! Meanwhile Luigi glared at Sonic from the other side of the table, clearly still upset that he'd punched his brother.

 _'I really don't blame him.'_

"Ah Sonic, good! I've been wanting to speak with you."

Sonic looked behind him to see Captain Falcon standing there with a waffle in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. AKA food. What Sonic had left his room for in the first place.

"Uh, sure Cap, but I kinda need to eat somethin' first..." As if to prove his point his stomach loudly growled, and Sonic quickly snatched a waffle from the platter. His eyes scanned the table for syrup, but upon finding it by Luigi he decided against it. He doubted Luigi would pass him anything at the table right now.

"Oh, of course!" Captain Falcon replied, taking a sip of coffee. "Just meet me in the garage when you're done, okay? I'll be there all day polishing up the Blue Falcon."

With that Captain Falcon turned and wandered out of the dining hall leaving Sonic to continue his breakfast in peace. Or as much peace as he could get in the Smash Mansion.

"What was that all about?" Pit inquired, downing a melon in record time.

"I dunno Pit," Sonic sighed, taking a large bite of waffle and trying to ignore the steely glare Luigi was giving him.

"Do you think it has anything to do with your breakup?" Pit questioned innocently, and Sonic let it slide as he knew that Pit - even though he was nearly two centuries old - still had the mindset of a preteen. One of the perks that came from being practically immortal.

"Maybe." he lightly pondered, pouring himself some coffee since it was first thing in the morning and the only time he enjoyed the beverage hot.

"I hope you and Mario can work through your issues," Pit continued obliviously. "You made such an amazing couple!"

Sonic's eyes dulled and he started into his coffee, catching his sullen expression in the reflection. "Yeah... somethin' like that." he muttered, turning back to his waffle.

/~/

"Captain Falcon?" Sonic called as he entered the garage of the Smash Mansion, where several of the Smashers personal vehicles were kept. Fox and Falco's Arwings were parked side-by-side, while Samus' Gunship took up an entire corner. Near the door were a few bicycles along with a few skateboards that the children Smashers sometimes used. Finally the Blue Falcon stood out in the middle of the garage, with Captain Falcon on a ladder polishing the paint with a ratty cloth. He hopped down upon hearing Sonic and tossed the cloth onto the ladder, smiling at his fellow Smasher.

"Sonic, good, you're here!" Captain Falcon exclaimed as he dragged a couple of wooden crates over and sat down on one, motioning towards the other one. "Please, take a seat."

Sonic eyed Captain Falcon suspiciously as he sunk onto the other crate. "I feel as though this is an intervention an' people in white jackets are gonna take me away to a nice padded room."

"Rest assured, it's nothing like that," Captain Falcon chuckled. "So... how are you doing?"

Sonic quirked an eyeridge. "Uh... fine I guess?" he replied, eyeing Captain Falcon in suspicion. Captain Falcon folded his arms and gave Sonic a pointed look.

"How are you _really?"_ he asked, causing Sonic to squirm under his gaze. That helmet really could be terrifying...

"What's this about?" Sonic carefully worded, and Captain Falcon sighed.

"Look, you just seem really down about your breakup and I wanted to see if I could help in any way, that's all."

Sonic held back the snort he felt coming up. "The guy who's struck out with every lady in the mansion is helpin' with romance advice?"

"Hey, don't give me lip hedgehog," Captain Falcon snapped. "Wasn't it my words that made you go through with confessing to Mario in the first place?"

Sonic paused realizing that Captain Falcon had a point. He snapped his mouth shut and gestured for Captain Falcon to continue.

"Thank you. Now, first thing's first, why did the two of you break up?"

Sonic shifted uncomfortably. "Before I tell you anythin', I don't want this spreadin' around the mansion, 'kay?"

"I'm a flirt, not a gossip." Captain Falcon oathed, and Sonic chuckled.

"Well, it's nice to have confirmation," he snickered, before his face grew serious again. "So I'm pretty sure I've mentioned Dr. Eggman to you before, right?"

"The evil villain who's trying to take over your world? Yeah, you've mentioned him."

"Well... it turns out that he's my father." Sonic confessed quietly. Captain Falcon's jaw comically dropped.

"You're related to your worst enemy? That really sucks, but what does this have to do with Mario and breaking up with him?"

"I'm gettin' to that," Sonic muttered. "Eggman captured me an' I was eventually saved by Mario's ex-girlfriend Pauline, so we decided to launch a counterattack. I was so mad 'cause of the situation an' the journal Eggman kept about my creation an' how I was supposed to be disposed of an' how he kept my mom captive. An' I saw him standin' there, smug as ever, an' I just... snapped. I almost killed him."

That's... unlike you," Captain Falcon pointed out. "Then again, I can't really blame you either if things are as bad as you make them out to be. However, I know from experience that taking a life can be haunting. So let me guess, Mario stopped you?"

Sonic was a bit jarred by how casually Captain Falcon mentioned killing someone before remembering that like Samus, he too was a bounty hunter. With that he shrugged off the nervous feeling and nodded. "Yeah... he was pretty mad. We got into an argument about morals an' stuff like that... an' I broke up with him 'cause I couldn't deal with it at the moment."

Captain Falcon hummed, motioning for Sonic to continue sensing he had more to say.

"Only a week later I got a message from Tails sayin' that Eggman infiltrated a nearby city. So naturally I went to stop him an'..." Sonic trembled in anger. "...He had a new sidekick with him. _Infinite,_ along with doppelgangers of enemies I'd fought in the past. I got my ass handed to me an' I was captured an' locked up on the Death Egg for six months bein' tortured while Eggman took over the world... my home..." he avoided eye contact with Captain Falcon. "An' all I think is that if I finished Eggman... none of this would've happened. There wouldn't have been a war, an' none of us would've been scarred for life by the experience."

Captain Falcon nodded, taking in the whole story. "So this is why you felt the urge to punch Mario? Because you felt he was at least partially responsible for the incident?"

"Partially? How 'bout entirely? If he'd just let me kill Eggman..."

"Hold on," Captain Falcon interjected. "Did he give a reason as to why he stopped you?"

"Somethin' 'bout me not bein' able to live with the guilt of havin' blood on my hands, 'specially since it's family blood," Sonic grumbled. "Though I really don't see what the big deal is. It's not like Eggman's been much of a father to me."

"Can you really blame him for wanting to save you from any potential mental scarring though?" Captain Falcon questioned. "I mean, we all have blood on our hands to some degree, except maybe the Villagers, innocent little things. But think about it Sonic. You've only had artificial blood on your hands from the robots you've slain. Could you really handle taking an actual life?"

"I..." Sonic started, unsure.

"Take it from someone who knows - it's not easy," Captain Falcon continued. "And you were Mario's boyfriend. Even you had to have seen the trauma in his eyes over the countless minions he's had to eradicate."

Sonic nodded robotically, remembering the occasional vacant stare Mario would slip into when he thought nobody was looking. The same empty stare Sonic found himself doing these past six months...

"So, do you still have feelings for him?" Captain Falcon questioned, causing Sonic to shift uncomfortably. He'd been dreading this question but he couldn't avoid it. He sucked in a deep breath and stared off into a corner before bobbing his head up and down. Despite everything he blamed on Mario... he missed his partner and friend and how they used to joke and laugh with each other. _  
_

"I think that maybe you should try talking to him," Captain Falcon urged. "You've always had a habit of acting impulsively based on your emotions. I think you should try changing that." Captain Falcon rose from his crate and turned back to the Blue Falcon. "That was all I needed to talk to you about. Just... think about what I've said, okay?"

"Sure..." Sonic mumbled, rising from the crate he was sitting on and exiting the garage through the door that led into one of the mansions many hallways. As he passed by Kirby and Jigglypuff on his way back to the music room to get the guitar he'd forgot to take with him the night before, Captain Falcon's words rung in his head. Stepping into the music room he shut the door and picked up the guitar he'd so carelessly left on the floor, examining it for any damage. After confirming it was still fine he sunk down into a chair, still not in the mood to play.

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **Silver1612:** *cackles* Good, good. Exactly the response I wanted out of readers. Honestly, I don't know, these two have minds of their own and I just let them... do whatever. This becomes apparent next chapter which I apologize in advance for. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** But was Samus' advice enough? And what of Captain Falcon's advice to Sonic? Hmmm... I guess we'll just have to see! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Hmmm... well, Captain Falcon has diffused that a bit, buuut... like I said above, I apologize in advance for the next chapter. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mrs. Needlemouse:** Mario and Samus do have a good dynamic, to the point where I was honestly thinking of writing a shipfic between them since it's another rarepair that you never see. I dunno, they just seem to go good together, y'know? And yeah... poor Sonic. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anon:** First off, thank you so much! I think that's one of the most flattering things anyone's ever said to me. And second, IKR?! I was watching too and it was so great! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Icee The Hedgehog:** Well firstly, I'd like to say thank you for giving this story a shot even if you aren't fond of the pairing. And I'm so glad that people seem to like my characterization of Sonic, I really wasn't sure how that was going to go down. And funny you mention the Inklings playing on their phones, as I drew characterization inspiration from that particular animation. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: *takes deep breath* So... Smash Ultimate. I've updated every scene that involves Zelda, her and Link are not an item since she's from ALBW and he's from BotW. And as for Snake and Young Link... I have ideas for how they come back from the dead so to speak. Not in this fanfiction, but another one that I'm already starting to plan out. And I'd like to note that I am excited for other games that were shown during E3, especially Transference and Death Stranding. Contrary to popular belief, I do play more than just Nintendo games. Feel free to gasp dramatically.  
**

 **~Steel**


	6. Tired of This

**AN: I apologize in advance for this chapter. I apologize, this wasn't how it was supposed to go, this wasn't how it was written in my outline. Things just sort of... happened. I'm so sorry. Um... I'll throw up a suggestive content warning and I'm going to go hide in the corner now.  
**

* * *

 _~Chapter Six: Tired of This~  
_

Mario wasn't going to lie - he was feeling pretty good once dinnertime rolled around in the mansion. He'd taken the day to relax and reflect on the conversation with Samus while sorting through patient files, and he wasn't dreading seeing Sonic around the mansion anymore. In fact, he welcomed seeing him now and was just going to accept whatever happened.

So naturally he was a little curious when Sonic was nowhere to be seen at dinner, but he shrugged it off as he took a seat next to Luigi and started a conversation with Link - hey, best to learn about the newest Hyrulian hero, right? As he dug into the mashed potatoes he caught sight of Samus filling Pikachu's food bowl. She waved when she noticed him before sliding into a seat next to Bayonetta and starting a conversation with the Umbra Witch.

"You seem happy." Luigi noted as he caught the smile on Mario's face. Mario's grin stretched even wider.

"I _am_ happy, bro." he confirmed, which he knew caught Luigi a bit off guard, but whatever! Finally after months he felt like himself again, and he was going to let everyone know it. He continued his conversation with Link and finished off his dinner before he politely excused himself and retreated to his room.

...Still no sign of Sonic though. Strange, he was sure he would have seen him at this point. But again, Mario pushed that thought aside as he stepped into his room, closing the door behind him and reaching for a book to read, his go-to pasttime. He was just getting into it when he heard something outside in the hall, and setting the book down he cautiously made his way to the door and glanced out the peephole.

Nothing. Mario blinked and shook his head, going back to his bed and returning his attention to his book. The peace was disturbed again by the same sound, and this time Mario flung open the door to his room to find...

"Sonic."

Said hedgehog froze at his name and slowly turned towards Mario, an amp at his feet. Mario realized that Sonic must have been pushing it along the carpet for it to be making the noise he heard.

"Mario." Sonic acknowledged, awkwardly bouncing on his heels as both he and Mario tried to think of what to say next. He ran a hand through his quills and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling before he sighed and looked Mario in the eye. "Can we talk?"

Mario blinked. "Uh, sure..." he breathed. His eyes fell to the amp at Sonic's feet. "Shouldn't you get that to your room first?"

"Uh, yeah." Sonic hummed. "I'll be right back."

Mario's heart hammered in his chest as he retreated back into his room. What could Sonic possibly want to talk to him about considering he'd been so hostile to him?

When Sonic finally returned to Mario's room and shut the door behind him -privacy and all that - the two just awkwardly stared at each other before Mario decided to speak.

"So uh, have you settled into your room?"

Sonic nodded. "Mhm." he cocked his head to the side. "So listen... I'm sorry 'bout punchin' ya in the jaw," Sonic murmured, eyeing the purple bruise. "I uh, talked with Captain Falcon. He... kinda gave me a different perspective on things. I get that you were just tryin' to... _protect me..._ an' I guess I kinda overreacted. I'm really sorry."

Mario relaxed the tiniest bit. Sonic was... actually apologizing! He could clearly see the guilt in Sonic's eyes, and for a moment he felt as though maybe... just maybe they could salvage something out of this broken and fragile relationship. "Well, to be fair I had a conversation with Samus," he admitted. "She helped put things into perspective for me as well."

Sonic snorted. "I bet she did," he sighed. "She's always been good at doin' stuff like that."

"Yeah..." Mario agreed, and the two of them laughed. Actually laughed! Okay, it was more of a chuckle than anything, but a laugh was still a laugh! Maybe this would go better than Mario thought. "She's actually quite fascinated with you," Mario continued. "Since she's not fully human either."

Sonic nodded involuntarily before Mario's last sentence actually registered in his head. "What do you mean she's fascinated with me since I'm not fully human?" Sonic questioned, his eyes narrowing as Mario realized the mistake he made.

"Uh..."

"You _told_ her?!" Sonic seethed, and any hope Mario had of having a normal conversation with Sonic went right out the window. "Why would you do that?!"

"I... she wanted to know why we broke up! And you know Samus, she doesn't participate in gossip!"

"I don't _care,"_ Sonic growled. "You knew I didn't want anyone else to know, an' it's bad enough Captain Falcon knows."

"What was I supposed to do Sonic? She wanted to know, and now she knows. It's done Sonic and I'm sorry, but you have to understand that I've been under a lot of stress since we broke up. I thought you were dead at one point! So I needed someone to talk to as well who wasn't my brother!"

Sonic said nothing, his arms folded as he glared at Mario. Mario returned the glare, feeling heat creep into his veins - his power flaring up. Then with no warning at all something _snapped_ inside both of them and they closed the distance between them in a hateful kiss, tumbling onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Sonic's hands dug into Mario's back as a low, animalistic growl rumbled in the back of his throat before he straddled him and pinned his arms.

Mario may have been pinned by Sonic at the moment but it didn't stop him from wrestling his right arm free, threading his fingers through Sonic's quills and violently tearing the ponytail holder out. Their eyes met, they both knew what was happening and like hell either of them were going to let it stop.

/~/

Mario... didn't feel good. He lay with his back to Sonic, already heavily regretting what they'd done. He didn't even need to look at Sonic's face to realize that he regretted it as well. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, wishing he could go back and stop the last half hour from happening. His neck and collarbone throbbed in pain from where Sonic had left his marks, and he was sure that Sonic had a collection of marks he'd left as well.

It was funny how they'd gone from a couple in love to two people that resorted to... _this..._ when they were frustrated with each other. If someone asked Mario what a low point in his life was, this would probably be it. Sonic shifted next to him and got out of bed, clearly under the assumption that Mario was asleep. Mario heard him sigh in discontent.

"What the hell happened to us?" he murmured, emotion thick in his voice. It almost sounded like Sonic was on the verge of crying, but Sonic never cried so that couldn't be right. "Chaos we're stupid... an' I'm just... _off._ Dammit. Why did I get so mad? It's not like it's a big deal if Samus knows... I know she won't tell anyone. An' then we... Chaos, what is _wrong_ with me?!"

Mario frowned. It was no secret that Sonic was off, he'd always been impulsive but this took that impulsiveness to a whole new level. Though he couldn't place the blame entirely on Sonic - he'd been impulsive too. A part of his ex-boyfriend's personality that had rubbed off on him at some point.

If only Mario knew what had happened to Sonic... he could try to help. There was no point in pretending to be asleep anymore. They needed to talk properly - _now -_ so Mario rolled over and faced Sonic who jumped slightly but didn't make a move to escape.

"Sonic..." Mario tried. "Can we try to talk normally now?"

Sonic lowered his eyes to the ground and nodded, defeated and tired of fighting. "Yeah... just put some clothes on first. I can't talk to you seriously when you're... well..."

Mario managed to let out a half-hearted chuckle as he got out of bed, redressing himself before sitting back down on the mattress, motioning Sonic over. After a moments hesitation Sonic sunk down onto the mattress a respectable distance from Mario.

"So... what exactly happened? Help me fill in the blanks. You were captured, and then what?" Mario pressed. Sonic inhaled deeply before exhaling it all as he tugged on the edge of one of his long quills, pondering where to start.

"I woke up in a solitary confinement cell... and it was pure hell from then on."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Heh... heh. Well, you were right about their interactions, I'll tell you that much! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Silver1612:** I dunno, I just like the idea of Captain Falcon being this helpful dude while also being a huge flirt at the same time. It's amusing to me. Thank you for the review!

 **Infinite's Ruby:** And... you were right about their interactions as well! Thank you for the review!

 **Silverwisp1's-Soul:** Thanks, and thank you for the review!

 **MikySP:** Pichu will not be making an appearance in this fanfic as I'd finished writing it before Smash Ultimate revealed that everyone was back. But I am planning a small, around four chapter fanfic detailing everyone's return set in this continuity that will help clear up Snake and Young Link's returns, as well as everyone else's. Thank you for the review!


	7. The Truth Comes Out

**AN: Happy (early) birthday Sonic! Last year I wrote a oneshot where he helped a Villager girl find her lost teddy bear, and this year... well...  
**

 ** _Italics =_ Flashback**

* * *

 _~Chapter Seven: The Truth Comes Out~  
_

 _He was in a prison cell. Again._

 _Sonic scowled as he eyed the solitary confinement cell he'd been placed into, trying to ignore the shackles digging into his wrists and ankles. The cell was made of shiny metal that reverberated every single sound off of it, forcing Sonic to stay in one position lest his ears suffer more than they had to. As he fumbled with his restrains trying to break free his thoughts drifted to the group of enemies that had taken him down._

 _Metal Sonic he understood. He'd always been Eggman's go-to, his twisted mechanical counterpart. But it was the other three he had some questions about._

 _Firstly, there was the fact that Chaos had been unsealed from the Master Emerald. How had that happened without Knuckles knowing, and wasn't Tikal in the Master Emerald along with Chaos? What had happened to her then for Chaos to escape?_

 _Then there was Zavok. He'd... he'd just been at the Olympics with Zavok. Had Eggman managed to convince him to join his side again? Unlikely considering Zavok had been hell-bent on destroying their world. Had Eggman found the_ _Cacophonic Conch again? But if that were the case, where were the rest of the Zeti?_

 _And finally... Shadow. What arguably bothered Sonic the most. Sure, Shadow had always been a lone wolf, but for him to suddenly turn on the planet he swore to protect for Maria's sake? And not only that, turn on Rouge and Omega? He didn't want to believe it, but..._

 _Sonic frowned. There was that new enemy as well, a species that Sonic couldn't quite place his finger on. He was... dangerous. Powerful. A cold chill went through Sonic as he realized Tails had still been in the square when he'd collapsed. Had he managed to escape, or was he somewhere in this prison as well, cold and scared and alone?_

 _His attempts to break free had been futile so far, so he decided to give it a rest and instead inspected the cell a little closer to see if he could find any weak spots. There was an air vent above him that was too high for him to get to and a speaker on the right wall. And of course there were the bars on his prison cell that he could most likely spindash if his arms and legs were free..._

 _No panic. He could get out of here, he knew he could. He just... hadn't figured it out yet._

/~/

Sonic went quiet, his eyes glazing over as he vacantly stared at the floor. All those memories that he'd tried to suppress were coming up to the surface...

"Sonic?" Mario quietly asked. "Are you okay?"

Sonic shook his head, allowing his vulnerabilities to be shown. There was no point in putting on the brave act anymore. "No. I'm far from okay actually."

/~/

 _The food Sonic was given was akin to porridge, and though it tasted awful Sonic begrudgingly ate it anyway. Until about four days in when he decided he'd had enough._

 _"Yo Zavok!" Sonic called out to the Zeti who was making his rounds in the prison hall. Zavok frowned and made his way over to Sonic's cell, glaring at the hedgehog in discontent. "Think y'all can whip me up some chili dogs? I mean, don't get me wrong, this sludge is great an' all, but a hedgehog like me needs protein in his diet, don'cha think?"_

 _"You'd be best to keep your mouth shut." Zavok growled menacingly. Sonic raised an eyeridge._

 _"Or what?" he challenged._

 _He was only fed once a week from that point on._

/~/

"Bastard." Mario spat, shocking Sonic as Mario very rarely swore. "How did you manage for that long?"

"I didn't." Sonic laughed, hollow and bitter.

/~/

 _Fatigued, Sonic listlessly raised his head to glance out the cell door, wondering if any food would make its way to him. He was so hungry, but the hunger he could mostly ignore. It was the thirst that was driving him mad, his throat burning and his tongue dry as a piece of chalk. He panted, desperately building up saliva in his mouth in the hope that it would help the thirst somehow._

 _It didn't. Lightheaded, Sonic put his head between his knees, his heartbeat pounding in his ears._

 _His heartbeat..._

 _Sonic pushed that thought out of his head almost immediately. No, he couldn't do that..._

 _...Right?_

 _Sonic licked his dry, cracked lips as his gaze fell upon his arm, where he could see the network of veins pumping blood through his body. Just a tiny incision would send a river of blood down his arm. Warm, wet blood...  
_

 _No, this was crazy! He could get an infection..._

 _But he was so desperate to drink something..._

 _Sonic mentally battled with himself for a few minutes until he finally snapped and rotated his arm, sinking his incisors into his bicep. He winced at the pain but kept going until he could taste copper in his mouth. Sonic instinctively gagged but fought through the nausea and continued to suck blood out of his arm, the drain causing him to feel woozy. Crimson streams dripped down his muzzle and arm, but he could care less as his thirst began to subside..._

 _Sonic pulled away, watching blood pool out of the wound and run down his arm in streams. Nauseated and slightly traumatized, Sonic lay down on his side before losing consciousness._

/~/

Mario stared at Sonic in disbelief, his stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots. "What?" he finally managed to whisper.

Sonic turned his arm and showed off the marks that matched his dental structure, something Mario hadn't noticed in the heat of the moment. "I'm not exactly proud of myself," Sonic muttered. "But I had to stay alive somehow. Thankfully I only needed to do that once, they were generous enough to give me more water after that. The food situation still wasn't the greatest though."

Mario wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just nodded, eyes wide in horror as Sonic continued his story.

/~/

 _He woke to the sound of an alarm blaring while an automated voice announced that there had been a security breech in Sector 4._

 _Sector 4. That was the sector he was in. Hope filled his chest, had his friends come to rescue him at last?_

 _"Psst."_

 _Sonic jumped and swiveled his head trying to locate where the voice had come from. Just when he thought he'd imagined it it heard it say, "Up here."_

 _Blinking, Sonic glanced up at the ceiling to find a face peering at him through the grates in the air vent. He managed to stand on top of the metal bench in order to get a better look at who was speaking to him. She was a rabbit, green furred and a pale muzzle with glasses covering grey irises. Her almost sleepy eyes widened and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're Sonic the Hedgehog..." she murmured in awe. "You're alive..."_

 _An icy chill went through Sonic. "'Course I'm alive... what made ya think otherwise?"_

 _"Dr. Eggman has been spreading word that you'd died," the rabbit explained. "Everyone's lost hope. But... if I can make it back to the Resistance base and let them know you're still alive, then maybe... maybe we'll have a fighting chance!"_

 _"There's a Resistance?" Sonic asked hopefully. "Who's their leader? Tails?"_

 _"Knuckles," the rabbit corrected, and while Sonic's gut painfully twisted he nodded anyway. At least someone was in charge._

 _"What about Tails?"_

 _The rabbit's face darkened and she glanced away while Sonic's heart went into frantic overdrive. "He hasn't been seen since you were captured. The Resistance is under the assumption he's gone insane."_

 _Sonic's heart lurched as he thought about his little brother, alone in a war-ridden world wracked with guilt over not being able to save his big brother.  
_

'I need to get back there.'

 _"Glasses!" a different voice called out, and the rabbit turned to her left momentarily before she turned her attention back to Sonic._

 _"Once we have a secure escape route I'll come back for you. Promise."_

 _With that she began to shuffle her way through the air vent while Sonic pursed his lips. While he admired her courage, he knew that his father wouldn't let anyone out of here alive no matter how hard they tried to escape._

 _"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." he mumbled when he was sure she was out of earshot._

 _/~/_

 _Not surprisingly, Glasses and the other two she had been trying to escape with were both captured, with Eggman sentencing them to death with public execution. Zavok, Chaos and Metal led the three prisoners through the winding hallways past all the cells, clearly wanting to set an example of what happened to those who tried to escape._

 _Sonic watched with mournful eyes as he took in the two others who had tried to help Glasses. A male blue goat and a female orange tiger who stayed quiet and kept their eyes on the ground, clearly having accepted their fate._

 _Glasses hadn't through. She struggled in Zavok's grasp, tears cascading down her cheeks as she chanted "no" over and over again, her futile plea eventually devolving into anguished wails that reverberated throughout the facility and made Sonic sick to his stomach._

 _"Don't kill me!" Glasses screamed as she was pushed into a capsule with the goat and tiger. She let out a final cry as the door was slammed shut and even still, Sonic could hear her pounding on the door with all her might trying to get it to open._

 _He forced himself to look away after that as the capsule was shot out into space before exploding mere seconds later. It was an all too familiar situation for him, and he had a sneaking suspicion that if he didn't find a way out he would succumb to the same fate._

/~/

"Those weren't the only prisoners who were killed," Sonic continued. "Sometimes they'd just shoot them point blank in the cell for no reason. An' that's only what the anthro's went through, I haven't even gone into how much the war took on the human race. Poor bastards didn't stand a chance in the end."

Sonic waited for Mario to say something, but when he looked up at Mario all he saw was his horrified expression. "You, uh, okay there?"

Mario only motioned for Sonic to continue.

/~/

 _He'd been rescued. After six months of being trapped in that damn floating space station he'd finally been rescued by a new recruit of the Resistance, a red wolf who went by Gadget. He clearly wasn't used to war as he seemed a bit jumpy, but that was honestly the least of Sonic's concerns at the moment._

 _Sonic frowned as he took in his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Six months of not doing any self-care had made itself apparent as fur had grown in on his arms and chest, not to mention he was covered in dirt and grime causing his fur to be matted and dull. His quills had grown out quite a bit, with the lower ones easily reaching his tail. The dull lighting from the single bulb swinging from a cord on the ceiling did nothing to help the image in any way, and sighing Sonic removed his gloves and shoes and stepped into the shower, hoping he'd be able to do something about his appearance._

 _Sonic watched in disgust as the water beneath him turned black and swirled down the drain in a dirty whirlpool. Shuddering he grabbed the razor and got to work on removing the fur from his arms and chest, accidentally nicking himself a few times in the process. Turning the tap off he stepped out of the shower and vigorously dried himself off with a towel before taking in his reflection._

 _There - he looked more like his old self now, and his fur looked more vibrant already. The last thing to do was fix his quills, but as Sonic positioned the scissors over them he scrunched up his face and lowered his arm, taking a good look at his reflection again._

 _...Actually, he'd keep the quills. For now at least._

/~/

"So how did you get that?" Mario questioned, pointing to the scar on Sonic's chest. Sonic looked down and winced, but ran a hand through his quills and sighed wondering how to word things.

/~/

 _Sonic wasn't surprised when he was called out on a mission almost immediately after being rescued. He was considered the front lines fighter of the Resistance after all. What surprised him more was the fact that Knuckles had instructed Sonic to take Gadget with him, or the "rookie" as he was affectionately known as at the Resistance base. At first Sonic wasn't sure if Gadget was up to the task after he'd seemingly had a difficult time on the Death Egg, but after a few minutes of smashing enemies Sonic knew he had nothing to worry about. Gadget had a weapon called a Wispon with him, and it was proving effective against Eggman's robotic army._

'I should get myself one of those.'

 _"Sonic!" Gadget shouted, pointing at their destination. "Looks like the entrance in on top of the pyramid!"_

 _"Let's go then!" Sonic yelled, boosting forward through the droves of Beebots that stood in their way. Together they made their way to the top of the pyramid and dived down into the interior, taking in what was going on. Sonic's blood chilled as he realized that this was... "A weapons development lab." he numbly mumbled as he and Gadget began to make their way through the inside of the pyramid, taking down anything in their way. A spindash here, a flamethrower from Gadget's Wispon there..._

 _"Alright!" Sonic cheered as they lept from cogwheel to cogwheel making their way deeper into the facility. "We just hafta keep up this pace, an' then..."_

 _He trailed off as a new swarm of Egg Pawns dropped down around them and Sonic smirked, flicking his thumb across his nose. "This'll be a piece of cake, right Gadget?"_

 _Gadget fiddled with his Wispon, panicked as it seemed... "It's malfunctioning!" he cried as Sonic spindashed through an Egg Pawn and grabbed Gadget's wrist._

 _"We gotta get movin' then!" he commanded as he boosted forward with Gadget swinging his Wispon around like a club managing to destroy some of the robots. The duo eventually made it to another cogwheel that rose up and down every few seconds. As Gadget stepped onto the platform more Egg Pawns dropped from the ceiling in front of Sonic._

 _"Keep movin' Gadget! I got this!" Sonic called as he began to spindash his way through the enemies. One of them caught him off guard however and sent him flying directly into a cog._

 _Sonic's mind froze as he felt the edge of the cog tear into the skin of his chest and he tumbled back onto the platform, writhing in pain as warm blood spurted out of the wound and pooled beneath him._

 _"Sonic!" Gadget cried as he lept down to join him, tossing down his Wispon and desperately trying to do something -_ anything - _to stop the bleeding. Sonic convulsed as his eyes focused on the Egg Pawns raising their guns to fire..._

 _And suddenly they'd all exploded in a flash and Gadget turned his head to find Tails flying down to the platform, a green Wispon in his hands._

 _"Tails..." Sonic began weakly. "What're you doin' here? You're supposed to be back at the base..."_

 _"I followed you." Tails replied simply. "Because I knew you'd need my help." Reaching into his namesakes he produced a roll of bandages and got to work on patching Sonic up. "Listen Gadget, I need to get Sonic back to the base. Do you think you can finish the mission on your own?"_

 _Gadget held up his Wispon. "My Wispon broke." he explained, and Tails relieved Gadget of the broken Wispon and handed him his green one._

 _"Amy and Knuckles will direct you on what to do next. You can do it, I know you can."_

 _With that Tails picked up Sonic and began to fly him out of the pyramid while Gadget continued on the war path forward deeper into the facility._

/~/

Sonic continued his story about the war against Dr. Eggman, the truth about what the Phantom Ruby could do and how it had conjured up illusions of villains from Sonic's past. About Eggman's plan to drop a virtual sun on the world, and finally how he and Gadget had teamed up to destroy the Phantom Ruby in the mech Eggman was piloting.

"Last I'd heard from Gadget he'd gone searchin' for Infinite," Sonic explained. "He thinks that since the Phantom Ruby has been separated from him that he won't be so bad anymore. For me though, I don't know if I could face someone who murdered my friends in front of me like that."

"What about Dr. Eggman?" Mario cautiously asked. Sonic tensed at the sound of his father's name.

"I don't know," he muttered. "Chances are good he's still out there like he always is, but we haven't been able to track him yet. Just like the Chaos Emeralds are still missin' as well."

Mario remained silent, taking in everything Sonic had told him. The digital clock flashed that it was eleven at night - Sonic had been talking for three and a half hours. He doubted he'd be getting any sleep tonight though - what Sonic had told him painted vivid images in his head that he couldn't get rid of, and he could tell Sonic was traumatized as well from having to relive six months of pure hell.

"Is there anything I can do?" Mario quietly asked. Sonic bit the inside of his cheek and looked at the floor as though he was contemplating something.

"Can you... ever forgive me?" Sonic asked, eyeing the bruise under Mario's mouth. "I wouldn't blame you if you can't. What I've done to you... what I've put you through... I'm so sorry."

Mario hesitantly reached over and patted Sonic's arm, and by the way Sonic jumped he clearly wasn't expecting it. "While yes, you did put me through hell... I have always believed that everyone deserves a second chance. So I accept your apology, as long as you'll accept mine."

Sonic gazed at Mario curiously. "What do you hafta apologize for? You didn't sucker punch me in the face."

"No, but I kept trying to talk to you when you clearly didn't want to. And I told Samus the full reason why we broke up."

Sonic put a hand up. "Dude, you don't need to apologize for either of those things. I overreacted like usual an', well..." he turned away. "I'm sorry for that too."

Mario let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Well, it did relieve us of our frustration, so I guess it was beneficial in some way. Still not the ideal way to resolve a fight, but..."

Sonic nodded, glancing down at the ground. "I should go..." he mumbled. "I've been here long enough."

"Wait," Mario quietly said. "Are you going to be alright after having to relive those memories?"

Sonic's eyes never once left the ground, giving Mario the answer he needed. "Stay here tonight," he offered. "You take the bed and I'll sleep in the chair. That way if you have any sort of nightmare you won't be completely alone."

Sonic's eyes flickered in confusion but he nodded. Mario stood and glanced towards the bathroom door. "I'm going to go clean up," he announced. "Make yourself comfortable."

Sonic waited until Mario had shut the bathroom door to curl underneath the sheets, wondering why Mario was being so nice to him. After all he'd done to him... he was expecting Mario to never want to speak to him again.

By the time Mario had emerged from the bathroom, Sonic was fast asleep.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yeah, it's not the ideal way to solve an argument at all. And as for Mario and Sonic... I dunno, it can go both ways at this point. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mrs. Needlemouse:** Yeah, I didn't expect the chapter to take that turn either. The characters had minds of their own. Thank you for the review!

 **Pamitydesu01:** Hey, don't worry about not reviewing! It's fine. And boy, when you put it that way... they've really been through a lot to get to this point, huh? Thank you for the review!

 **Silver1612:** Yeah, at least they're finally talking. And I'm glad the twist went over so well with everyone, I really wasn't sure how that was going to go down. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Sonic really needed to talk about what he went through. And even though he and Mario went through a rough patch, he knows that he can trust Mario, and I like to think that he's only told the full truth to him and Tails. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **MikySP:** Oh, you didn't bother me at all! I was just clearing up that yes, I had something planned after this story. Thank you for the review! **  
**

* * *

 **AN: Alright, so this is the part where I explain my own version of the Sonic Forces plot.  
**

 **First, Classic wasn't a part of the story because I've done a few playthoughs and I still can't figure out what his role in the plot was other than give Tails something to do.  
**

 **Second, Sonic Mania set the Phantom Ruby up as some sort of counter to the Chaos Emeralds I thought, especially since it could hurt Super Sonic. And since the Chaos Emeralds don't play a role in the plot at all, I had them go missing. It just seems like the most logical explanation to me.  
**

 **And third, like most of the fandom, I latched onto Gadget. And I may or may not lowkey ship Infidget now.**

 **~Steel**


	8. Can We or Can't We?

**_Replies_**

 **TheGameNguyener:** While I agree with you about the story to some degree, I do feel as though the game is worth checking out if only for the avatar stages and customization as it is legitimately enjoyable to create your own character in the Sonic canon. Fun fact, Glasses from last chapter was my own self-insert. Anyway, we're at the final chapter now, so I guess we'll just see how things turn out for our heroes. Thank you for the review! **  
**

**Pamitydesu01:** A step in the right direction, but they're still not there quite yet. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anon:** Definitely, I feel like we could have seen more of what Sonic went through on the Death Egg, though I will say that I do enjoy everyone's different interpretations of what he went through. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Silver1612:** Heh, yeah... I honestly had so many different idea's of what Sonic could have gone though, and at one point the entire story was going to be rated M before I toned it down a bit so it wouldn't be the odd story of the saga. A lot of things were cut, but ultimately I think it was for the best. Thank you for the review! **  
**

**Infinite's Ruby:** In my Forces canon Tails indeed did have a bit of a nervous breakdown after Sonic was captured, but was eventually found by the Resistance and took on a fighter/mechanic role. Especially since in this canon he's a teenager. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Guys... I completely failed to mention last chapter that this chapter would finish off the story. I'm so sorry! But I won't waste your time with this AN, I'll see you at the end of the story.**

* * *

 _~Chapter Eight: Can We or Can't We?~  
_

Sonic was still asleep by the time Mario woke up. He had honestly been expecting Sonic to have nightmares, but he had seemingly slept the whole night with no issue at all. In all honesty, Mario thought he looked almost peaceful curled up in the sheets. He then quickly averted his eyes as they weren't together anymore and thus it seemed inappropriate to watch him sleep.

Mario wandered into the bathroom to do a quick clean-up and winced as he took in the marks on his skin that hurt when he poked at them. He sighed and changed into his traditional overalls and cap and splashed some water on his face before quietly exiting his bedroom and heading to the dining hall to get breakfast for him and Sonic.

A few Smashers were already in the dining hall, the Inklings sitting at the far end of the table scrolling through their phones once again while Shulk and Ike conversed with Marth and Roy. Samus got out of her chair when she spied Mario and wandered over. "Just a heads up, Master Hand said something about even more new Smashers showing up, so be prepared for that, alright?"

Mario gave Samus a grateful nod and a " _grazie_ " before heading into the kitchen where Princess Peach and Mr. Game & Watch were making breakfast,

"Good morning Mario!" Peach sang brightly as he entered. She flipped a pancake onto a plate and placed it on a tray while Mr. Game & Watch added bacon and hashbrowns. "How are you this morning?"

"Alright..." Mario mumbled as more food was placed on the tray, followed by a cup of coffee with sugar packets and tiny milk cartons. "I actually need two trays this morning, I'm bringing one to Sonic."

"Oh, you're speaking?" Peach asked curiously as she began to prepare another tray. "What happened?"

Mario shifted uncomfortably and prayed that his clothes hid the dark marks on his neck and collarbone. There was no reason that _anyone_ should know what he and Sonic had done. "We talked," he answered, which wasn't a lie. "And he stayed in my room last night because he's been suffering from some nightmares."

Peach quirked an eyebrow as she put the finishing touches on the second tray and pushed it towards Mario. Making sure Mr. Game & Watch was occupied she beckoned Mario to lean in closer. "You, um, have something on your neck..." she murmured, tapping the area on her own neck. Mario winced and pushed his collar up higher, his face red in embarrassment and shame.

" _Grazie_..." he whispered.

"Don't mention it," Peach whispered back. "I'm not going to pry and I'm certainly not going to tell."

Mario gave her a thankful smile and balanced both trays in his hands as he made his way out of the kitchen and through the dining hall, making sure to keep the left side of his neck well-hidden. He didn't want to think about what would happen if one of the younger Smashers saw and asked someone like Bayonetta about it, who was well-known for going into graphic detail about sensitive topics. Mario shuddered and made his way to the back door where he opened it with his hip and continued his way to the dorms. Stepping into his room he found the bed empty but heard the shower running, so Sonic was clearly up. He set the trays down on the desk and turned his eyes towards the bed; he needed to wash those sheets.

As he was stripping the bed he heard the shower turn off and after a few moments Sonic emerged from the bathroom with a towel slung over his shoulder. "Hey..." Mario greeted before gesturing towards the food. "I brought breakfast. I figured you probably didn't want to see the other Smashers, especially since..." he trailed off as his eyes fell to the marks he'd left on Sonic, guilt settling over him like a blanket. "Sorry..."

Sonic merely shrugged and grabbed a tray, stabbing his pancake with the plastic fork. "It's... really no big deal. I have a neckerchief I can hide these with so..."

A chill went down Mario's spine when Sonic mentioned a neckerchief, like what the other Sonic he'd met had worn. He wondered momentarily if he should mention that adventure to Sonic, but decided to shelf that topic for a later date. Things were already awkward enough at the moment.

The two ate breakfast in awkward silence, as even though they'd talked it didn't change the fact that they'd impulsively slept together. Eventually it was Sonic who sighed and broke the ice on the topic. "Do you still love me?" he quietly asked, the question catching Mario off-guard so badly that he choked on his coffee. "I mean, I know you. You're not the type to just hop into bed with someone. You said to me that you needed to fully love and trust someone before you took that step, so..."

"We were together a long time Sonic," Mario began. "We were partners and more importantly best friends. Feelings like that don't just vanish overnight, even when you're trying your hardest."

Sonic winced and glanced down at the carpet. Mario cocked his head curiously. "Why do you ask?" he murmured, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer. Sonic said nothing at first, continuing to stare down at the carpet. Finally he lifted his eyes to meet Mario's.

"I guess the same can be said for me then." he confessed quietly. Mario blinked, realizing that...

"You still have feelings for me too." he mumbled numbly, confirming his suspicions. Sonic robotically nodded and pushed the food on his plate around with his fork. "What do we do?" Mario asked. Sonic shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea. I mean, the logical thing would be to restart our relationship, but there's so much emotional baggage surrounding us now."

Mario nodded in agreement. "It makes things difficult," he mumbled. "Maybe... maybe it would be best for us to just be friends?"

Sonic's head snapped up at the suggestion before he hummed and stared into his coffee. He took a sip as he pondered Mario's proposition. "Friends?" he repeated. "Just friends?"

"Just friends," Mario confirmed. "That way... we can both heal."

Sonic forced a smile onto his face and nodded, trying to ignore the hollow pit in his stomach. "Yeah... friends. We can be... friends."

/~/

The other Smashers knew something had happened between them. It was obvious when they were speaking with each other but acting awkward around each other to the point where friendly physical contact like handshakes or fistbumps rarely happened between them.

When Mega Man and Pac-Man returned to the mansion the Primary Colour Crew was quickly reformed, but lacked the distinctive chemistry it had before. Mega Man noted how it felt as though Ice Man had chilled the entire room.

"It's like watching a trainwreck happen right before your eyes," Samus sighed to Captain Falcon. "Because they so obviously have feelings for each other but whatever happened with them is preventing them from becoming a couple again."

"It's tragic," Captain Falcon agreed. "But there's nothing more we can do. This is something they need to sort out for themselves now."

Samus watched as Sonic and Mario awkwardly shuffled around each other. Even back when they were rivals they hadn't gone to these extremes to avoid each other. "I guess so..." she mumbled. "But I'm positive they can work things out. They've been through so much together, and there's no way that their story is finished yet."

 _~End~_

* * *

 **AN: So... Mario and Sonic have decided that friendship is the best route for them even though they've admitted to each other that they still love one another after all they've been through. Only time will tell if they can rekindle their romance, and it will take time as Smash Ultimate threw me for a bit of a loop and brought back Snake and Young Link who I wasn't expecting to come back to the series in the slightest, so I need to deal with them being back in canon before I move onto the final part in this saga. So basically what I'm gonna do is have a bit of a spinoff that takes place just after this story wraps up, and while Mario and Sonic will be around in the story it will focus more on Samus, Snake and Pit, and Sheik, Roy and Young Link. I already have an outline written up and a bit already written, so look forward to that in the future!  
**

 **Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you around!**

 **~Steel**


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